Short answer A ballad wants chords that move slowly and come home: I–vi–IV–V (D–Bm–G–A in D) is the timeless one, and I–V–vi–iii (D–A–Bm–F♯m) sounds tenderer. With a slow tempo and an arpeggio, each chord leaves room for the voice. The generator suggests more with harmony rules.
Rules checked on November 10, 2026.
Your progression Mood or genre Sad Happy Epic Nostalgic Tense Pop Ballad Rock Reggaeton Rumba Sertanejo Bossa nova Key C D♭ D E♭ E F G♭ G A♭ A B♭ B Chord names Letters (C, G, Am) Solfège (Do, Sol, Lam)
D I Tonic Bm vi Tonic · relative G IV Subdominant A V Dominant D · 70 BPM
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Turn on JavaScript to generate and hear progressions. There is an example above.
Why it sounds this way A ballad uses the same chords as pop but walks through them more calmly and gives more weight to vi and iii, the minor chords of the major key. The V at the end of the loop creates the wait that makes the return to I feel like relief: the right moment for the lyric’s key line.
Progressions to start with Chords in D Numerals Function Play D – Bm – G – A I – vi – IV – V Tonic – Tonic · relative – Subdominant – Dominant Play Use this one D – A – Bm – F♯m I – V – vi – iii Tonic – Dominant – Tonic · relative – Tonic · substitute Play Use this one D – F♯m – G – A I – iii – IV – V Tonic – Tonic · substitute – Subdominant – Dominant Play Use this one D – G – Em – A I – IV – ii – V Tonic – Subdominant – Subdominant – Dominant Play Use this one D – Bm – Em – A I – vi – ii – V Tonic – Tonic · relative – Subdominant – Dominant Play Use this one
What it does not do It does not use AI or write the song: it suggests chords from harmony rules, and the melody and lyrics are yours. It does not make audio to release: the sound is a simple guide for trying ideas. It does not analyse existing songs or tell you which hit uses a progression: chords have no owner and repeat across thousands of songs. It saves nothing and sends your choices to no server: everything happens in your browser. 